Voting behaviour and the Media
Case studies:
1979 - Conservative Thatcher’s first victory
Overview:
Party policies and manifesto
- Both parties manifesto were strong in their party manifesto - with both aiming to reduce inflation
- Callaghan (labour leader) claimed that Thatcher and the conservatives would move to the right if they
won but this had little credibility as Thatcher’s campaign had little to no mention of moving to the right
The Election Campaign
- Conservatives adapted policies of modern advertising under the guidance of two professional publicity
specialists - Gordon Reece and Tim Bell
—- Thatcher was pictured doing everything in attempts to gain support - tasting tea to holding a newborn
calf
- Thatcher turned down the offer of a televised debate, which would have highlighted the difference
between Callaghan and Thatcher (was perfectly to do so as had been done in elections prior)
- This was a smart move by Thatcher as opinion polls suggested that voters believed that ‘sunny Jim’
callaghan would make a better Prime Minister than Thatcher despite his mistakes
Wider political context
- Thatcher’s victory can be held due to the importance of the weakness of the Labour government
—- Callaghan’s government was a minority administration that had survived by constructing deals with
smaller parties
- Additionally, Callaghan mistimed his election, everyone thought he would call his election in the
Autumn of 1978 but did not instead the ‘winter of discontent’ hit in 1979 and the government’s
attempt to impose 5% limit on pay increases collapsed by a series of strike - lost national support
- The government failed to control strikes and when callaghan returned from the Caribbean island and
dismissed questions by a journalist at home
—-- The sun claimed him of being out of touch and headlined their newspaper - ‘Crisis? What Crisis?’
which the conservatives were able to use for their campaign
1997 - Blair’s New Labour victory government
Case studies:
1979 - Conservative Thatcher’s first victory
Overview:
Party policies and manifesto
- Both parties manifesto were strong in their party manifesto - with both aiming to reduce inflation
- Callaghan (labour leader) claimed that Thatcher and the conservatives would move to the right if they
won but this had little credibility as Thatcher’s campaign had little to no mention of moving to the right
The Election Campaign
- Conservatives adapted policies of modern advertising under the guidance of two professional publicity
specialists - Gordon Reece and Tim Bell
—- Thatcher was pictured doing everything in attempts to gain support - tasting tea to holding a newborn
calf
- Thatcher turned down the offer of a televised debate, which would have highlighted the difference
between Callaghan and Thatcher (was perfectly to do so as had been done in elections prior)
- This was a smart move by Thatcher as opinion polls suggested that voters believed that ‘sunny Jim’
callaghan would make a better Prime Minister than Thatcher despite his mistakes
Wider political context
- Thatcher’s victory can be held due to the importance of the weakness of the Labour government
—- Callaghan’s government was a minority administration that had survived by constructing deals with
smaller parties
- Additionally, Callaghan mistimed his election, everyone thought he would call his election in the
Autumn of 1978 but did not instead the ‘winter of discontent’ hit in 1979 and the government’s
attempt to impose 5% limit on pay increases collapsed by a series of strike - lost national support
- The government failed to control strikes and when callaghan returned from the Caribbean island and
dismissed questions by a journalist at home
—-- The sun claimed him of being out of touch and headlined their newspaper - ‘Crisis? What Crisis?’
which the conservatives were able to use for their campaign
1997 - Blair’s New Labour victory government
